


Ache

by AgentStannerShipper



Series: tumblr ficlets [44]
Category: Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: Homophobia, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, references to Canon typical violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-18
Updated: 2019-01-18
Packaged: 2019-10-12 01:01:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17457611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgentStannerShipper/pseuds/AgentStannerShipper
Summary: Harry hates seeing Merlin hurting.





	Ache

**Author's Note:**

> For the prompts: “Who hurt you?” and “Nothing is wrong with you.”

Harry knows something is wrong the moment he sees Merlin, because Merlin is a handler and handlers do _not_ go on missions so there is no feasible reason for why the tech wizard is sporting a black eye. Harry marches into his office and takes Merlin’s chin in his hand, tilting his head up to get a better look even when Merlin makes a sound of protest.

There’s venom in his voice when he asks, “Who hurt you?”

Merlin pulls away, ducking his head so his shaggy black hair falls across his eyes. He pushes his glasses back up his nose with one finger, and his voice is thicker than normal when he responds, “It doesn’t matter.”

“It matters to me,” Harry snaps. “Was it someone here? At Kingsman?” If any of the knights laid a finger on Merlin, Harry has no qualms about fighting them. Under different circumstances, he might find it amusing, the idea of battling for Merlin’s honour, but right now all he can see it red. And black and blue, as it were.

Merlin shakes his head, “No one. It was no one.”

“You’re not going to feed me some shit about walking into a door, are you?”

Another slow shake of his head, “I just meant it was no one important.” Harry sees a little glint under the rim of Merlin’s glasses, and his heart jolts because _Merlin is crying_. He’s never seen the wizard cry, not when Bors got caught in the crossfire of his own explosion, not when he had to put down his dog Moira because she got hit by a car and couldn’t recover, not even when Harry was comatose for a month and the doctors thought he wouldn’t make it. If Merlin ever cries, it’s not where anyone else can see.

Harry tilts his chin back up, and Merlin doesn’t fight him, sniffing. “Merlin,” Harry says softly. Then, “Hamish.”

“They saw you. Leaving my house.”

Harry blinks. “Who saw me?”

Merlin shrugs, “My neighbours? Passing kids? I don’t know. But I was coming home the other day, and…I don’t know, it was dark, and there were a lot of them, and they surprised me, and the next thing I know I’m on the ground and everything hurts. I think they kicked me a couple times; my ribs are absolutely killing me.” He tries for a weak laugh, but it just sounds watery and he winces. “They were saying…God, bloody awful things. Telling me to go back where I came from, that England didn’t need any queers coming in, spreading disease, shit like that.” He sniffs again and wipes his eyes, “Jesus, what is wrong with me?”

“Nothing is wrong with you,” Harry says. “You’ve been through an ordeal. It’s perfectly normal to cry about something like that.”

“I don’t usually.”

Harry pauses. “This sort of thing has happened before?”

Another shrug. “Not for a while,” Merlin says. “But my father said shit like that all the time. Kids in school…” He looks away. “Crying at work is unprofessional.”

“Fuck professional right up the arse,” Harry says, and the profanity startles Merlin back into looking at him. “You’re not a robot, no matter what some of the agents might think. You have feelings, and you deserve better than having them stomped all over.” He pulls Merlin in for a hug, not caring that the door is unlocked, not caring that they might get caught. He’s consoling a co-worker and the rest of the world can fuck right off.

Merlin melts into him, and Harry is careful of his ribs when he squeezes tighter. When he pulls away, he risks a little kiss to Merlin’s forehead. “I would give you the world on a silver platter if you asked for it,” Harry tells him. “Anyone who thinks that makes us wrong or dirty or sick or whatever, they’re the ones who are wrong. Alright?”

Merlin swallows hard and nods. “Would you like me to walk you home tonight, or would you prefer to come over to my place?” Harry asks. Then it occurs to him: “Or I could stay away for a while, if you’d feel safer that way.”

Merlin shakes his head, “I feel safer with you. But…could I spend the night with you? I’m not sure I feel safe going home.”

“Of course,” Harry says. He strokes Merlin’s hair and giver Merlin a chaste peck on the lips. “We can take a bubble bath and cuddle and watch those shitty movies you love.”

“They are not shitty,” Merlin protests. “Science-fiction is a brilliant genre.” He smiles, and Harry’s heart feels lighter for it. “But the bubble bath and cuddling sounds nice.”

Harry risks one last kiss, and then says, “I have to go to work now, and you have to be brilliant. But I’ll see you later, alright?”

“See you tonight.”

_I love you_ , Harry mouths to him, backing away and heading for the door.

Merlin ducks his head, and then pushes the hair back up out of his eyes, smiling softly. “Same here,” he whispers back.


End file.
